


Say "AHHH!"

by Akaicchi



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Comedy, Coming Out, Drama, Getting along, M/M, POV First Person, Pride, Wakatta Verse, Weekend trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-16 15:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15439968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaicchi/pseuds/Akaicchi
Summary: A short story about Kanji and Ryou going to a Pride event in Tokyo. Chaos obviously follows. Kanji’s POV.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taffyshark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taffyshark/gifts).



> This is a gift for and dedicated to TaffyShark!!! She made me one of my Pride Month icons (visible on Discord and Twitter), which is Doujima with a pride flag tie, and a trans flag behind him. It was very thoughtful and appreciated!! (>.<) <3 She also suggested a few of the ideas in this story. Taffy has been a big inspiration and also support in my life this past year, and I hope this story makes her laugh a bit!  
> This should TECHNICALLY take place partway through the next major installment in the Wakatta series. This short is some months AFTER a rather large disagreement between Kanji and Yousuke; the topic being Kanji’s relationship with Ryou. ^^;; I really, REALLY thought I would have it out by now.  
> It’s got ten chapters either fully or mostly written, and more planned. The themes this time (each story has revolved around a few central themes) are supposed to be “trouble” and “jealousy”, so the argument-subplot played well into this. I really wanted to get this out last month though, and am clearly very late. So here it is... *smiles awkwardly*
> 
> Awesome drawing by @Zakulf on Tumblr!!  
> https://zakulf.tumblr.com

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys land in Tokyo and get dressed for fun. The working title was “Painted Flags”, because they paint flags on their cheeks.

Chapter One

I’m still not entirely sure how I’ve convinced Ryou to come to a Pride event. It didn’t take nearly as much coercion as I thought it would, either.

We packed some stuff, left Nanako with my mom, and then hopped a train to stay in Tokyo for a long weekend with Yuu and Yousuke. At their apartment. This is gonna be... _Interesting._

The train pulls into the station a little after noon. Ryou and I collect our baggage and make our way up from the platform to the main area. We scan our tickets and go through the gates, and—

That’s about when I feel too overwhelmed. We’re in one of the biggest stations in the country and I have no idea how to even get to Yuu’s apartment. _Which exit do we take? How do we even know where we are?_

Having grown up in Tokyo, Ryou is confident that he can get us to the right place. When I pause to shove down my anxiety, he realizes that I’ve fallen behind. Ryou backs up a few steps and grabs my hand, tugging me along through the crowds. A duffel bag hangs from his shoulder, but doesn’t swing around practically at all. He moves through the people so fluidly it’s amazing! I’ve got a backpack on, and I’m afraid that if I so much as turn to the side too quickly, I’ll knock someone off their feet.

The stores and shops go by in the blink of an eye. We’re traveling at a good clip, probably cause Ryou can tell how stiff I’ve become. I don’t like being packed in so tightly. _It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Tokyo. The trip to Okina is much easier, less crowded._

Outdoors finally, I heave a sigh. Ryou guides me to the side of the building, where there’s a ledge I can on sit for a minute.

“See why I hate cities?” he quips, eyeing the passersby as if they’re all criminals. A laugh escapes me. “What?” Ryou questions.

“Nothing,” I shake my head. “You just... Seem pretty uptight yourself.”

“I am,” he guardedly replies. “But one of us had to find the exit.”

Ryou raises an eyebrow as if daring me to poke fun at him again. I smile and stand instead. “Show me where to go.”

My boyfriend nods and I take his hand again. We walk for a good ten minutes before reaching the building where my friends live. It’s tall and new-looking. I wonder what they’ve been doing on the side that they can afford something so nice. Ryou is eyeing the front door suspiciously as well.

I shrug and ring the buzzer. Yousuke answers and tells us to come up.

We climb three stories, then walk down a hall to their apartment. I knock once, and open the door—Yousuke has said he’d leave it open—and _damn_ am I impressed!! My eyes sweep around to take in the sparse, modern-looking living room, the small kitchen, and two doors that must be a bedroom and a bathroom.

“Kanji!” Yousuke grins, coming out of what’s gotta be the bedroom. He’s carrying a textbook that he sets on a desk near the window. “Glad you came,” he says, walking closer.

My old friend holds up his hand for a high-five and I comply. Then he turns to Ryou, clearly trying to look at least a little happy. “Doujima,” he nods, sticking out his hand. Ryou’s mouth quirks in distaste, but he reaches out to shake.

“Where should I put our stuff?” I ask Yousuke, trying to distract him and Ryou from their staring match.

“Anywhere is fine,” he gestures around the room. “One of you can sleep on the couch, and we have sleeping bags in the closet.”

“Okay,” I nod, taking Ryou’s duffel and lining our stuff up against the wall. “What time will Yuu be back? When do we have to leave? Anything I can do to help out? Cook?” I nervously fire off questions.

Yousuke shakes his head slowly, looking like he doesn’t even know which question to respond to first. Ryou chuckles.

“Just—Watch some TV for a bit. Yuu’s in class for another hour and then we’ll get ready to go. We can eat in Nichou.”

“‘Get ready’?” Ryou questions.

“Yeah! Weren’t we gon—”

I give Yousuke a small shake of my head. “Well, Yuu’s gotta change and all,” I break in. “You know how it is, Ryou.”

“I guess,” he rolls his eyes, and takes a seat on the couch.

Yousuke walks to his desk to finish up whatever he’s been doing and I follow him. “He doesn’t know about all the stuff that goes along with this. Yuu said it would be better not to give him any warning.” I suppress a smile.

Yousuke sighs. “Yuu can get him to agree to anything, huh?”

“Pretty much,” I agree, a smile spreading across my face. _I always love seeing my friends, but I really enjoying seeing Ryou and Yuu get together. They don’t see each other too often, these days. Yuu’s got school and Ryou’s got work. And we’re a few hours away from each other._

I let Yousuke get back to his work and join Ryou on the couch. He’s flipped to the news, so I watch for a little while, then pull out a crochet project I brought along to finish while we wait.

Yuu arrives home sometime later, happy to see us. He drops his stuff and comes right over to shake our hands. He looks as if he wants to hug us, but holds back—On account of Ryou, I’m assuming. I can’t help smirking and Yuu catches me, laughing lightly.

Then he heads into his room to change and grab his supplies. Yousuke sneaks in, as well, and Ryou gives me a funny look, as he’s just realizing that they share a room. “They—They’re—Ahh...” Ryou stammers.

I have to bite my tongue. “Yeah,” I tell him. “Why do you think they invited us out tonight? Just cause _we’re_ queer?”

“Kanji—You know I don’t like that word,” Ryou sighs, missing the point.

I shake my head and scoot over to throw my arm around him. “Yuu didn’t tell you already?” _I thought he had. Especially since they’re living together now..._

“Yuu,” Ryou says his nephews name slowly, trying to think. “Maybe I’m too dense.” He shrugs, more surprised than off-put.

He drops it after that, pulling me closer to him and continuing to watch television. When the guys reappear, I put my project away then go back to sitting next to Ryou. He glances at me quickly, eyebrows scrunching together.

“What is it, Kanji?” he questions, looking a little shifty.

“Nothin’,” I beam, putting my arm around him. Ryou is staring at me way too hard, like he just _knows_ somethin’s up. Yuu is giggling, coming from the other direction, so I wrap my other around Ryou’s front to keep him still.

“ _Kanji_ —” he says, trying to sound stern and stuff. Yousuke looks super uncomfy grabbing Ryou’s head to keep him still as Yuu attacks him with face paint. “Oh what the hell!!” Ryou grumbles. “What _is_ this crap?!”

It doesn’t take more than two minutes. Yuu is as deft as ever. He’s quick to paint the proper stripes for the bear flag just below his uncle’s eye, while Ryou looks about to explode any second.

“What did you do to me?” he snaps when we all back off.

“Turn,” I command, and Ryou swivels his head to show me the other side of his face.

I break out in a grin. “Looks good, man!”

Ryou reaches up to touch it and I slap his hand away. “Hey!!” he yelps.

“Don’t do that!” I tell him. “You’ll smudge it. They worked hard.” He sighs and pinches his eyes shut.

Yuu holds out a mirror and Ryou looks into it. “What is this? Why’s it all browns?” He’s puzzled, which confuses me too.

“Aren’t you a bear?” I ask.

“Well, ah,” he squints. “I guess... I am. I’ve never thought about it before. I did get paranoid when someone called me kuma-kei once. Like they thought I was too hairy, but...” Ryou frowns, seeming annoyed.

 _He_ got self-conscious? It’s not something I can imagine.

“Do you not wanna be a bear?” I ask instead, trying not to be too judgey. _His hair doesn’t really bother me. I kinda like his beard now._

“Hnn,” Ryou folds his arms. “I guess I’m alright with it.” He runs a hand over one of his cheeks, feeling his short beard.

“C’mon, you look really good!” I end up bursting out. Yuu snickers and Yousuke shudders. They’re painting bi flags on each other’s arms, and then they’ll give me a pan one, like I said I want.

Once Ryou’s stopped giving me a really uncomfortable look, he asks me how we know all these different flags. “We looked ‘em up online,” I explain. “Thought it’d be fun if we all had like, specific stuff that applies to us.”

“What are you getting?” he asks, cupping my chin in his hand and staring at me intensely, like he’s trying to guess what’s going on up in my head.

“P-pan,” I stutter.

Ryou raises an eyebrow. “That’s...”

“Everyone,” I supply. “I don’t have a specific preference, just that that’s I like the person. Coulda been a man or a woman or someone else entirely.”

“‘Someone else’?”

I nod. “Yeah. It doesn’t matter to me how people are built or identify, as long as I click with them.”

“Could’ve been anyone, huh?” Ryou teases me, smirking in a shithead way. “Didn’t _have_ to be me, hnn?” He pokes my side and I swat his hand away.

“You know it had to be you,” I quietly answer, making sure the other two are too busy with they’re doing to notice before I lean in to kiss him. I can see Ryou grinning crookedly when I pull away. He was definitely just fucking with me.

I get up and go find the bright yellow tank top and pink shorts I brought with me. _It don’t often dress in loud colors anymore. It’ll be fun to wear something obnoxious._

I walk back over to Ryou after I change and he’s clearly trying not to grimace. “So ostentations...”

“That’s the kinda day it is,” I answer. “It’s fun!” I declare, tugging on the hem of my shirt to get a better look at the fabric.

Ryou doesn’t seem convinced, staring hard as if that’ll make me change. _No way._

Yuu comes over to me to paint some stripes around my bicep, and we’re ready to leave. He’s wearing a goofy rainbow, while Yousuke doesn’t look too different from normal—He’s clearly the one being dragged along. He’s not as stubborn or quiet as Ryou, and I bet he’ll have fun, but he seems unsure if this is what he wants to do.

“Let’s go,” Yuu tells us, grabbing Yousuke’s hand and heading out the door.

“Ready, old man?” I grin at Ryou.

He rolls his eyes. “Never thought I’d be going to something like this,” he admits. “I’m more of a...” he trails off.

I wait to see how he’s gonna phrase this while Yuu locks up. We’re on our way down the stairs when he finally decides how to put things: “I’m from a generation where we didn’t talk about these things.”

“You’ve always been very to yourself,” Yuu comments.

Ryou’s mouth quirks a frown at that, and I yank on his hand to stop him from whatever he was thinking about. “Well, things are different now, right?”

“Sure are,” my boyfriend nods to himself a few times.

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. I actually wrote the bulk of this story during an eight-hour car ride. I made a few minor corrections, but overall not much changed. I don’t think it’s necessarily my most shining work, but I’m happy with how it turned out. It was fun. ^^
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Chapter Two

_Well that didn’t go as I expected._

_At all..._

Several hours later, I’m dragging my drunk-idiot-definitely-high-boyfriend back up the flights of stairs to his nephew’s apartment. Yuu kindly gave me a key when Ryou started gravitating towards different vendors and events than he and Yousuke were interested in. I didn’t care too much, and enjoyed watching him start to let loose. When the separation of our group started to seem more than likely, I backtracked enough to find my friends and let them know.

By the time I found Ryou again, he’d apparently befriended a group of drinkers who were plying him with beer. He’s following along, probably for the free stuff people keep passing around. There’s food too, but I don’t trust it. Those guys seemed like bad news.

Sure enough, they dragged him along, getting hammered and shit. Ryou didn’t wanna leave, and isn’t one to pass up free drinks, or food, or anything free, really. So he ate and collected his way through side streets and mini-malls. And that’s how I ended up carrying a bag full of shit he’s not going to even bring home—Never mind _use_. There are wristbands and buttons (he’d die before showing off how gay he is back home), pamphlets (for places in Tokyo we’ll never go), host cards (what the _fuck_ Ryou), empty bottles and cans (who knows), food he didn’t finish (including an unopened bag of “cockies”—yes you read that right), two tiny flags (I only know what one of the patterns even is), a handful of free condoms (we don’t even use condoms cause we’re clean), orange plastic sunglasses (I should make him wear these home), and a joint.

Someone literally passed Ryou an unlit joint and he just... Threw it in the bag. “The cops are everywhere,” he slurred, eyes jagging around. The man didn’t seem to care, and thought it was cute, laughing and slapping his back as if he didn’t just pass blatant drugs to a cop.

 _So glad to be back_. I heave a giant sigh as I haul Ryou’s ass through the door. His wardrobe has been heavily modified, which I’m sure he’ll regret when he’s sober.

He lost his shirt in a bar, threw it at someone when he won this contest and they gave him an ugly pleather vest. Someone spray-painted what I thought was a slur—but _he_ thought was funny—on the back of his jeans, too. I saw it happen from across the room and was too exhausted to care. He thought it was hysterical, and didn’t stand still enough, so it really just looks like a bunch of neon green lines. _That’ll be a pain in my ass to clean._

I guide him to the couch so we can just go to sleep, but Ryou isn’t having it. He starts taking his clothes off, then rips the canvas bag from my hands and starts digging through it. He groans when he can’t find whatever he’s looking for. Ryou takes off his jeans and picks up— _holy shit where did he get that—_ a rainbow T-back. After he manages to squirm out of his boxers, giggling hysterically, he gets it halfway on before giving up.

I pinch my eyes shut and count to ten. When I open them, he’s asleep. I sigh and fix the stupid thing, then try to slide pants on him. They don’t quite go all the way up, but it’s good enough. I throw a blanket over Ryou and set up the sleeping bag for myself. I’m out pretty quick.

When the door opens, and Yuu and Yousuke are back, chatting quietly, I feel myself coming-to. At some point Ryou has gotten off the couch and sprawled himself half on top of me. He’s laying his head on my chest, his body at a weird angle to mine. It can’t be comfy, but he’s snoring like usual.

Yousuke grumbles when he’s close enough to see us. I frown, there wasn’t much I could do when I wasn’t even awake. “Sorry,” I whisper. “Heavy sleeper.”

“You or him?” he moans.

I shrug. Yuu is a few steps behind his own boyfriend, and he smiles at me, holding up a hand in greeting. “Have fun?”

“Eh,” I reply. “You?”

“Mm,” Yuu eagerly nods. He tosses me something from his pocket. I can’t see what it is, so he motions for me to bend it. The thing crackles and lights up yellow—A glow stick.

“Ooh,” I breathe, giving it another snap and seeing the crystals activate in one of my favorite colors.

Yuu grins at me. “Been a while, huh?”

“We never really had these when I was a kid,” I tell him. “Always thought they were pretty.”

“Should last a few days,” Yuu tells me. And then Yousuke’s calling for him in the other room, so he says “goodnight” and leaves me alone.

I place the glow stick behind my pillow and shift Ryou a little, so he’s at a better angle. He lets out one really loud snore, but doesn’t wake up. _Coulda been worse, today. I’d say it was pretty fun, even if Ryou went kinda nutso._

_Wonder if he used to do stuff like this, when he was younger? Was he always bi?_

I’d like to ask him sometime, to get to know what he was like when he was my age. I start trying to figure out how to even bring up the subject, but my eyes are starting to close. I’m out pretty quick. Even if I had fun, it was real exhausting.

I don't’ get to sleep nearly long enough, and of course we wake way before the other guys. Ryou’s up first, and his squirming pulls me from sleep.

“What am I wearing?” he groans. “Feels like something’s strangling my dick.”

“That would be the weird underwear you thought was hysterical.”

Confused, Ryou reaches into his pants and feels around. “I’ll be damned,” he breathes, clicking his tongue. Something else clicks, too. Metal against tooth. And _that’s_ when his expression turns to abso-fucking-lutely disturbed.

I can’t help the childish grin that spreads across my face as he remembers the other thing. _The thing I tried my best to stop him from doing._

Ryou swallows hard, frowning, then sticks out his tongue. “ _Thit_ ,” he tries to swear, tongue still hanging out. He pulls it back in, more annoyed than anything. “That’s gonna be a huge pain in the ass,” he groans, apparently less than thrilled with his tongue piercing this morning.

“You wouldn’t lemme talk you out of it,” I tell him, trying to be serious.

“No,” Ryou sighs. “No, I _believe_ that...” I tilt my head, confused as to why he even wanted it in the—

“I used to have one,” my boyfriend explains, scratching his cheek self-conciously. “Used to have a few, err— _discreet—_ piercings. Took ‘em all out years ago, though. Before I got married.”

I nod slowly. _That makes sense._

“Not that you’d care,” he teases, smirking and pinching my ear. I roll my eyes as he fingers my earrings. “You don’t, do you?” It’s more questioning as he repeats it.

“No,” I snort, grabbing his hand. Ryou smiles weakly and yawns.

He finally sits up and looks around at the mess he made, that I tried to clean. “No one will notice this, anyhow.” He seems pretty unconcerned, but I guess he knows what he’s talking about.

Ryou rises and starts to sort through the finds he left in a pile. “Where’s _that_ from?” he questions, wrinkling his face at the sight of the garish vest.

“Yeah it’s from—” I start, then shake my head. “You know what? Let’s play a game called ‘pretend you didn’t drag my to a place with a name like that’.”

“This the name?” he snickers, trying to be quiet. Which is prolly what makes me giggle, too.

“I hope not,” I answer with as much of a glare as I can manage.

Ryou chuckles and folds it into his bag, way too self-satisfied. “Bet I looked _hot_.”

“Maybe if you weren’t so smashed,” I return, snuggling deeper into the sleeping bag. “You really gonna keep all that stuff in the bag?”

He hums as he takes a look, separating out the junk. “Most of it can go.”

I feel myself cracking a smile. “Thought so.”

“But this makes for a nice souvenir,” he announces, shit-eating grin and all. “So...” Ryou trails off. “About ready to go?” He sets his hands on his hips and glances at our packed bags.

“You think I’m wearing this home?” I question, pulling at my pajamas, and his eyes widen. _Forgot in his rush to get out, huh?_ ”We’re not gonna wait till they get up?” I ask, honestly disappointed.

Ryou throws a sideways glance at Yuu’s room. “Hnn,” he hums. “Don’t know how I feel about that...”

I bite my lip, but stand and walk over to him, silently pulling out my clothes. “You can’t feud with Yousuke forever,” I say after I’ve changed. He starts to protest, so I talk over him. “Save it, old man.”

His face crumples, and Ryou’s shoulders sag. “It really upsets you that much?”

“You’re the one who told me to make up with him, cause he’s my friend.” I fold my arms and stare him down. “And what do you think happened when they found your ass passed out last night?”

“Yeah,” he grumbles, wavering. I can see that he doesn’t wanna make things worse between us than they already might be. “Okay. How about we get coffee and bring it back?”

“From where?” I reply. “A vending machine? It’s not even seven!”

Ryou purses his lips, and thinks. “I could use the walk,” he jokingly tells me, rubbing his neck. I wave him along, I don’t really care as long as we can say a real ‘goodbye’.

Ryou changes and then we leave the small apartment in search of drinks. He walks a little ahead of me, thinking he’s funny as he pretends to leave me behind while I lock up—But the joke’s on Ryou. _Him forgetting is a given, but..._

I can see something I had forgotten entirely. You can clearly read the markered-letters spelling “neko” on the back of his neck. I smile to myself.

 _I won’t tell him till we’re home._ I take out my phone and snap a pic when I get close enough. He gives me a curious look, unsure. “Just a souvenir,” I say as he grabs my hand.

There isn’t a soul on the streets, not even the cleaning crews you normally see on Sundays. We find a machine with his brand of coffee and sip our drinks quietly by the river, enjoying the cool morning.


End file.
